Urinary catheter that prevents bladder infections

Abstract

Natural urination washes out the pathogens in the urethra, preventing bladder infections. Urinary catheters used currently prevent this flushing action allowing bacteria to progress from the exterior and into the bladder. This invention is a urinary catheter that permits washing of the urethral walls to flush out pathogens. A variety of constructs is to accommodate gender differences and other variables.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Many millions of persons lose the ability to urinate, temporarily or permanently. When the ability to urinate is lost, the solution is to insert a catheter into the urethra and into the bladder to permit urination. The Egyptians used a hollow reed, but today, catheters are made of a variety of materials such a rubber or vinyl. A urinary catheter may be used for each urination, or implanted using a bubble of air or liquid to prevent it from falling out. Whatever style of catheter is used, bladder infections inevitably result, typically within a week to ten days. Before antibiotics were available, loss of the ability to urinate usually resulted in a fatal infection within a few years. Today, antibiotics usually work to eliminate the infection. Use of antibiotics to prevent infection tends to result eventually in the production of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, while antibiotics are lifesavers, it is a long and expensive battle for the cathet...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The first and simplest design proposed takes advantage of the male anatomy. The head of about two inches in length dilates the urethral sphincter and has holes to allow urine to pass through the sphincter and into to the urethra within the penis. The head is then attached to a slim solid rod allowing the urine to pass between the slim rod and the walls of that portion of the urethra in the penis. Urination three or four times per day should be more than sufficient to keep bacteria from making the migration from urethral orifice to bladder, a distance of about six inches. As an option, a tailpiece to confine the urine back into a tube for easy disposal may be added and would be inserted about a half inch into the external urethral orifice.

Problems solved by technology

Whatever style of catheter is used, bladder infections inevitably result, typically within a week to ten days.

Before antibiotics were available, loss of the ability to urinate usually resulted in a fatal infection within a few years.

Therefore, while antibiotics are lifesavers, it is a long and expensive battle for the catheter user, a battle sometimes lost.

Attempts to “engineer out the risks” have not been very successful.

While deviations from acceptable standard practice, such as locating the urine bag higher than the patient's bladder, can cause infection, we may assume that such events are rare.

However, a continuous dribble may not be as effective in washing out bacteria as a periodic flush.

When the risk of biofilm formation is considered, it may be that only intermittent catheterization use is feasible.

When a new catheter is used for each urination then biofilms are not relevant, but any catheter that remains inplace is an infection risk.

The longer the time, the greater is the risk.

This is not feasible for tubular catheters in current use.

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